Unlike other fish salads across Vietnam, Quan Son carp salad is prepared with carp naturally raised in the lake. Locals say the fish feed on moss and algae, giving the meat a fragrant aroma, sweet flavor, and firmer texture with less fishy taste.
Fish weighing between two and three kilograms are typically chosen. After cleaning, the fish is filleted, thinly sliced, and soaked in lemon juice or vinegar before being marinated with roasted rice powder, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, and chili.
A distinctive element of the dish is boi, a side delicacy made from carp innards and roe, ground with pork belly, seasoned, and steamed. This adds a rich, nutty flavor that sets the dish apart.
Serving the salad involves a ritual that uses more than ten types of wild and garden leaves, freshly picked in the morning.
Diners layer fig, Barringtonia, Indian camphorweed, lime, and Paederia lanuginosa leaves into a funnel-shaped roll. Inside, they place slices of fish, a spoonful of boi, roasted peanuts, ginger, garlic, chili, and green mango before consuming the entire roll in one bite.
The flavors combine the astringency of fig and Barringtonia leaves, the bitterness of camphorweed, the fragrance of lime leaves, and the spicy heat of chili and galangal.
Paired with the sweetness of carp, the richness of boi, and a sip of local rice wine, the dish leaves a lasting impression on diners.
Today, alongside its scenic lake landscape, Quan Son carp salad has become a culinary brand of Hanoi, offering a distinctive experience for travelers exploring the capital’s southwestern region.
Le Quyen